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10 Key Takeaways from our UK Youth Trends Report 2022

The UK Youth Trends Report is our annual review of the emerging trends that are impacting the lives of 16-24s and the opportunities for marketers to act upon them, and this year’s report covers everything from cryptocurrency to fashion. It also includes some surprising results from our survey of over 1,000 16-24s from across the UK, as well as contributions from our panel of experts and Gen Zers!

1. 81% of 16-24s prefer to follow influencers that share their values.

Creativity and entrepreneurship are among the qualities Gen Z respects, which explains why they prefer the term ‘content creator’ to ‘influencer’. 

2. 27% of Gen Zers think the 2020s has the best fashion

This is closely followed by the ‘90s, with 18%. 

3. Gen Z are optimistic that they can have it all. 

The majority of Gen Z say that getting married, having children and owning a home are important to them, although the highest percentage said that having a stable career was important to them. 

4. 66% of our panel of 16-24s thought cryptocurrency was a good investment.

Gen Zers tend to prefer cryptocurrency to NFTs, as they see the latter as a fad. NFTs often appeal to those who aspire to a luxury lifestyle, but can be alienating to those who can’t afford to be in the clique. 

5. 79% of TikTok users follow an influencer on TikTok.

The algorithm that powers the app’s FYP favours content that displays creativity and talent – certainly one to bear in mind when you’re working with content creators!

6. 53% of 16-24s have taken mental health advice from social media.

Tread carefull here – it’s vital that, if you choose to share any information about these topic, the information comes from a verified and reliable source.

7. 69% of 16-24s like seeing fashion trend content on social media. 

A huge 74% have gotten fashion inspiration from social media – fashion brands out there, take note!

8. Focus on macro trends.

Don’t frequently change your product offering or branding based on micro-trends –  more gradual movements over time are likely to stay relevant for longer (although this obviously doesn’t apply to social media trends!)

9. 62% think the majority of mental health content they see on social media is trustworthy.

There’s certainly more that the popular platforms could do to in order to direct users viewing or searching for content on these topics to reliable sources.

10. Gen Z has a reputation for being ‘Generation Sensible’.

They like to make thoughtful, strategic decisions and are known for being risk-averse. For example, those investing in cryptocurrency/NFTs will make sure they’re well educated and confident before making any decisions.

Download the full UK Youth Trends Reports 2022 here.

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